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Birth
Alaric was born around
370 to a noble
Gothic (Western Gothic or Visigothic) family, who had just fled south to
the mouth of the Danube River at the Black Sea to escape the invasion of
Eastern Europe by the Asian Huns.
Early Military Service
As a young man Alaric served in the
army of the Gothic foederati (tribesmen with recognized territorial
rights and responsibilities in the Roman Empire)--becoming a general in
394 and serving under the Emperor Theodosius. At this point he began
to take note of the weakness of the Roman hold over northeastern Italy.
Proclaimed a Gothic King
When he was later bypassed by Theodosius's
sons in their distribution of imperial offices, he made the decision to
act on his own political behalf. Gathering disgruntled
foederati
(for whom tribute payments from Rome had been slacking off) he had himself
proclaimed Gothic king.
His March on Constantinople, Greece
and Illyricum (395-396)
He moved his troops on Constantinople
itself. But unable to take this well defended city, he turned his
troops towards Greece proper. For almost two years (395-396) he plundered
Greece--though he spared Athens. Then he found himself trapped in
Greece by the general Stilicho--but managed to escape to the north along
the eastern Adriatic Sea (Illyricum), where he was welcomed as a liberator,
king of the lands that reach even up to the middle Danube River.
From
there he conducted a devious
diplomacy with the Eastern and Western branches of the Roman Empire--swearing
fealty to one or another as he felt it opportune to do so. In the
meantime he began to equip his troops with the finest of Imperial
weapons.
His First Invasion of Italy
(401-403)
In 401 Alaric broke his treaty with
Rome and invaded Italy. He spread terror through northern Italy--until
he was again met and defeated by Stilicho at Pollentia in 402. Then
after another defeat from the hands of the Romans in 403, he abandoned
Italy.
He Returns to Greece
Furthermore, though defeated, Alaric
was not considered out of the political picture. Indeed, in the mounting
tensions between the Eastern and Western Imperial governments, he was called
in for support by even Stilicho. When however the Roman problem defused
itself by the death of one of the imperial claimants, Alaric, who had moved
his armies into Greece, demanded a huge tribute payment in compensation
for his efforts.
Stilicho and the
Senate had agreed
to the payment. But then he and some of the Senators were assassinated
by their political enemies in the Senate. In the ensuing political
chaos, some of the foederati
of Italy were killed. This in
turn set off a massive flight of foederati refugees to Alaric's
camp.
His Second Invasion of
Italy
This prompted Alaric to
mobilize his
troops. They invaded Italy again--and rolled right up to the walls
of Rome. Rather than attack, he settled in for a siege of starvation
against the surrounded Romans. Finally he was bought off by
a huge ransom payment.
Political Wheeling and
Dealing
But Alaric still pressed for Roman recognition
of some kind of official position within the Empire: rule over
the lands between the Northern Adriatic and the Middle Danube and the command
of the Imperial army. Failing satisfaction in this, he besieged Rome
a second time (409)--and gained the position as unofficial overlord of
a new Western Emperor, Attalus. But Attalus proved to be an uncompliant
vassal--and also brought Rome to defeat in Northern Africa where Rome depended
heavily for its grain imports. The Romans began to complain bitterly
about this new regime of Alaric and Attalus.
The Eastern
Emperor Honorius, once
an ally of Alaric, now stepped into the situation. Alaric dumped
Attalus and negotiated with Honorius--but was out-trumped diplomatically
with the intervention of a Gothic rival, Sarus.
Entry into Rome (410)
Thus in 410 Alaric resorted to his old
trick of besieging Rome again. This time Alaric and his Visigoths
broke through the Roman defenses. But they proved themselves to be
sparing in their plunder of the ancient capital.
Catastrophe and Death in an Effort to
Invade Africa (410)
From there Alaric moved his troops to
the south, with the intention of taking by force the grain lands of North
Africa--thus bringing some contentment to his Roman subjects. But
storms destroyed his navy--and Alaric himself was struck by fever and died
in the effort, bringing to an end the life of this amazing self-defined
adventurer.
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Alaric:
An Overview
His
Life and Works
His
Legacy
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to the history section: The
Collapse of Rome in the West
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Spiritual Pilgrim
Miles
H. Hodges
